Suffer the Little Children

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Book: Suffer the Little Children Read Online Free PDF
Author: Donna Leon
think,’ Brunetti observed.
    â€˜Exactly,’ Vianello answered, refusing to abandon his conviction.
    â€˜Yes,’ Brunetti agreed, and then looked up at the sound of footsteps in the corridor. Marvilli was approaching them.
    The Captain noticed Vianello and said, ‘I see your sergeant’s filling you in on what happened.’
    Vianello started to speak, but Brunetti forestalled him by getting to his feet and taking a step towards Marvilli. ‘The Inspector’s telling me what he’s been told, Captain,’ Brunetti saidwith an easy smile, then added, ‘That’s not necessarily the same thing.’
    Seamlessly, Marvilli replied, ‘That would depend on whom he’s spoken to, I suppose.’
    â€˜I’m sure someone will tell us the truth, in the end,’ Brunetti countered, wondering if Marvilli was in some sort of caffeine-induced state of agitation.
    Marvilli’s response was cut off by the opening of the door to Pedrolli’s room. A man in middle years, vaguely familiar to Brunetti, stepped into the corridor, looking back at something inside. He wore what seemed to be a Harris tweed jacket over a pale yellow sweater, and jeans.
    He raised a hand and pointed into the corridor. ‘Out,’ he said in a dangerous voice, his eyes still on something or, it now seemed, someone.
    A much younger man, dressed in camouflage fatigues and carrying a machine-gun, appeared just in the doorway. He stopped, his face rigid with confusion, and looked down the corridor. He opened his mouth as if to speak.
    The Captain waved him to silence and then jerked his head to one side, commanding him from the room. The man with the gun walked out into the corridor and down to Marvilli, but the Captain repeated the gesture, this time angrily, and the young man continued past him. All of them could hear the sound of his disappearing boots.
    When silence returned, the doctor closed the door and approached them. He nodded inrecognition of Vianello, then asked Marvilli, ‘Are you the person in charge?’ His voice was openly aggressive.
    â€˜Yes, I am,’ Marvilli answered, and Brunetti could hear him struggle to keep his voice calm. ‘May I ask who you are?’ the Captain asked, then added, ‘and why you ask?’
    â€˜Because I’m a doctor and I’ve got a patient in there who’s been the victim of an assault, and since you’re a Carabiniere officer and presumably know what’s going on, I’d like to report it and report it as a crime.’
    â€˜Assault?’ Marvilli asked with feigned curiosity. ‘Your patient attacked two of my men and broke the nose of one of them. So if there’s any talk of assault, he’s the one who is more likely to be charged with it.’
    The doctor looked at Marvilli with contempt, and made no effort to keep it out of his voice. ‘I have no idea what your rank is, officer, but unless your men decided to take his clothes off him after fracturing his skull, then your men – and I assume they were armed – were assaulted by a naked man.’ After a brief pause, he added, ‘I don’t know where you come from, but in Venice we don’t allow the police to beat people up.’ He turned away from Marvilli, making it clear that he had said all he wanted to say to him. Addressing Vianello, he said, ‘Inspector, could I have a word with you?’ Then, as Vianello started to speak, he added, ‘Inside.’
    â€˜Of course, Dottore,’ Vianello said. Indicating Brunetti with his right hand, he said, ‘This ismy superior, Commissario Brunetti. He’s very concerned about what’s gone on here.’
    â€˜Ah, that’s who you are,’ the doctor said, extending a hand to Brunetti and giving him an easy smile, as though it were perfectly natural to be introduced at four o’clock in the morning. ‘I’d like to speak to you, as well,’ he said, as
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